US5774063A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for software based wireless remote control of electronic devices
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1995-12-14
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Granted: 1998-06-30
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Expires: 2015-12-14
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for remote control of electronic devices includes one or more processing units, a memory system, one or more I/O controllers, controlling various input/output devices such as a keyboard, a mouse, a display device, communications adapters and the like, a bus which connects the processing units, the memory system, and the I/O controllers, one or more transducers adapted to convert electronic signals to wireless communications signals and one or more application programs executable by the processor units for controlling generation and transmission of wireless communications signals for remote control of one or more electronic devices. A typical application is the control of transmission of infrared signals to remotely control consumer electronics equipment.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard Edmond Berry
- 👤 Jimmie Darius Edrington
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 07:52
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04Q; H04Q9/00; G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/03; G06F3/033; G06F3/02; G06F3/023; G06F3/0231
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
120 words
Apparatus, for remote control of electronic devices, comprising: one or more processing units; a memory system; one or more I/O controllers; a bus connecting the processing units, the memory system, and the I/O controllers; one or more transducers, adapted to convert electronic control signals to wireless communications signals; one or more application programs executable by said one or more processing units for controlling generation and transmission of wireless communications signals for remote control of one or more electronic devices; and one or more tables associated with each application program, wherein each table contains data used by the associated application program for generation of the electronic control signals which are converted by the one or more transducers to wireless communications signals.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
120 words
Apparatus, for remote control of electronic devices, comprising: one or more processing units; a memory system; one or more I/O controllers; a bus connecting the processing units, the memory system, and the I/O controllers; one or more transducers, adapted to convert electronic control signals to wireless communications signals; one or more application programs executable by said one or more processing units for controlling generation and transmission of wireless communications signals for remote control of one or more electronic devices; and one or more tables associated with each application program, wherein each table contains data used by the associated application program for generation of the electronic control signals which are converted by the one or more transducers to wireless communications signals.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
Apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein the I/O controllers comprise means for controlling input/output devices.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
Apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein the one or more transducers comprise: at least one infrared emitting device.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein the one or more transducers comprise: at least one wireless radio frequency transmitting device.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein the one or more transducers comprise: at least one infrared emitting device; and at least one wireless radio frequency transmitting device.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus, according to claim 1, further comprising means for conducting the wireless communication signals from the transducer to a point in direct line of sight of a detector in an electronic device subject to remote control.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein the data used by the associated application program comprises: pulse sequence and timing data necessary for generation of electronic signals for each of the one or more electronic devices.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
109 words
A method of generating wireless communications signals, comprising the steps of: setting a command pointer to a starting command in a table, wherein said table is comprised of one or more commands; programming a timer interrupt to a remote carrier frequency; and passing control to a timer interrupt routine at specified time intervals, wherein the timer interrupt routine performs the steps of: reading a command from the table; determining, based on the command, if a state of a transmission signal should be changed; and changing the state of the transmission signal if it is determined during said determining step that the state of the transmission signal should be changed.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
109 words
A method of generating wireless communications signals, comprising the steps of: setting a command pointer to a starting command in a table, wherein said table is comprised of one or more commands; programming a timer interrupt to a remote carrier frequency; and passing control to a timer interrupt routine at specified time intervals, wherein the timer interrupt routine performs the steps of: reading a command from the table; determining, based on the command, if a state of a transmission signal should be changed; and changing the state of the transmission signal if it is determined during said determining step that the state of the transmission signal should be changed.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method of generating wireless communications signals according to claim 8, wherein said determining step comprises the steps of: incrementing a remote timer; and determining if the remote timer is equal to a value pointed to by the command pointer.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method of generating wireless communications signals according to claim 8, further comprising the step of testing a busy flag to determine if a wireless communications signal is currently being transmitted.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method of generating wireless communications signals according to claim 8, wherein the commands in the command table comprise pulse sequence and timing data necessary for generation of electronic signals to be converted by one or more transducers to the wireless communications signals.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method of generating wireless communications signals according to claim 8, wherein said changing step comprises the steps of: changing a state of an LED flag; and changing a state of a speaker.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method of generating wireless communications signals according to claim 8, wherein said changing step comprises the steps of: clearing an LED flag; and disabling a speaker.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method of generating wireless communications signals according to claim 8, wherein said changing step comprises the steps of: setting an LED flag; and enabling a speaker.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-06-29 | 2001-12-29 | 2002-06-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-06-29 | 2005-12-29 | 2006-06-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-06-29 | 2009-12-29 | 2010-06-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |